Senior Social Worker - Substance Use Disorder

Posted: 26-Jul-26 | Location: Pueblo, Colorado

Summary

The Social Worker practices in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System (VAECHCS) assigned to the outpatient Substance Use Disorders Clinic under the Mental Health Service. The incumbent participates as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Education: Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work.
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to the social worker position GS-0185 series in the VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to VA Licensure Requirements.
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determination Requirements: GS-12

• Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice, of which one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.
• Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Preferred Experience

• Experience providing individual and group psychotherapy to individuals with addictive disorders, including dual diagnosis.

Responsibilities

• The Senior Social Worker actively implements evidence-based treatments within the SUD Clinic.
• Provides clinical supervision towards licensure in social work or addictions counseling and/or actively represents the SUD Clinic in facility or VISN-level workgroups/committees.
• Provides clinical consultation to other members of the workgroup, as needed.
• Provides administrative and/or clinical coverage in the absence of the Program Manager, Detox/MAT Coordinator, or as other clinical needs indicate.
• Completes all components of the intake and assessment process and develops a treatment plan pertaining to all assessed needs.
• Serves as case manager for a panel of patients, attending to a broad range of patient needs including but not limited to those dealing with physical health, employment, finances, family, social support, and housing.
• Provides same-day services for Veterans in crisis, including referring patients for emergency medical treatment, psychiatric medication evaluation, SUD specialty care, or non-medical detoxification, and coordinating admissions to inpatient units.
• Provides a range of treatment services, including individual and group treatment (psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic groups).
• Utilizes evidence-based treatment methods, Motivational Interviewing skills, and interventions based on both abstinence and harm reduction approaches.
• Assesses patient interest in and eligibility for Medication Assisted Therapies and provides referrals for evaluation for these treatments.
• Participates in triage services through daily same-day access clinics and assists with drug and alcohol monitoring.
• Ensures timely follow-up with Veterans who prematurely drop out of treatment.
• Actively participates in weekly staff meetings and team huddles regarding clinical, administrative, and staff development issues.
• Maintains up-to-date charting in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), documenting all assessment, treatment, and case management contacts with patients.
• Actively participates in program planning and development, making recommendations for changes in policies and procedures as needed.
• Takes responsibility for meeting continuing education requirements and completing all mandatory trainings, including those accessed on the Talent Management System (TMS).
• Participates in the planning and executing of specific staff-development projects, attends seminars and other training events, and participates in the training programs of other disciplines (psychology, psychiatry, nursing, addiction counseling) as requested.
• Facilitates referrals based upon veterans' needs and eligibility, with general knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, and non-service-connected pension.
• May provide services in Community Based Outpatient locations other than their assigned duty station and/or may provide services to these locations over Telehealth, including VA Video Connect and other technology.

Physical Requirements

• The position is generally of a sedentary nature and involves activities normally associated with the counseling process and office work, including sitting for long periods of time.
• No unusual physical demands are placed on the incumbent, but the work requires extreme patience and control of emotions in a multi-disciplinary work setting.
• Primarily light and sedentary duties; occasional moderate physical demands.
• Able to sit at desk for prolonged periods of time, typing/using mouse & keyboard.
• Frequently engages in light to moderate physical activities including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies up to 35 pounds.
• Must be able to exercise patience and control emotions.

Schedule

8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday

About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology, and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.